Stephen wilcox



I3. WILOOX.

(No Model.)

GAS ENGINE.

Patented. June 15 ATTORNEY To all whom it may concern.-

" companying drawings, forming a part of the is intercepted a higher average temperature I in the county ofKjings and State of New York,

STEPHEN VILCOX, OF BROOKLYN NFAV YORK.

.GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters A pplicntion filed November 14, 18?!) Be itknown that I, SrErnnwWILcox, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Brooklyn;

have invented a new and useful Improvement; in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the acsame, in which- Figure 1 representsa longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a cross'section through the cylinderwall on the line :0 w,- Fig. 3, a vertical section through the line y y, and Fig. 4 a transverse section through the line 2 z.

The object of this invention is to reduce the loss of heat in this class of engines occasioned through conduction, radiation, and exhaust; and the invention consists in intercepting the escaping heat and directing it to the combi tion-chamber, as hereinafter described.

It is well known in practice that about 11.. per cent. of the heat generated is conducted through the walls of all water-jacketed cy1 nders, thirty per cent. escapes through the exhaust-passages, and five per cent. is lost by radiation, leakage, &c., while but about fifteen per cent. is converted into power; and it is evident thatif a portion of such escaping heat will be obtaincd'in the cylinder or combus tion-chamber; and to this end I will proceed to describe an engine adapted to secure this result. I

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a single'acting engine trunked at its cool end to form an air-pump, and the cylinder provided at its opposite end with an extension-chamber, in which the hot gases act upon a plunger connected to the main piston.- In the drawings, ctreprcsents the cylinder,

in. which the piston 12 rcciprocates; and c, the extended chamber of the cylinder, inwhich the hollow plunger dis arranged, the latter being connected directly withthe piston 12.

The piston 11 is constructed witha trunk, e,

that passes through a stuffing-box, and is also pronided' with an interior connection, 9, to which thg- -connecting-rod of the engine is at tachcd, this trunk arrangement providing an annularspace that is utilized as the air-pump chamber, the piston b acting; as the air-pump.

the jacket is closely fitted.

Patent No. 343,745, dated June 15,1856.

. Serial No. 182,779. (No model.)

It represents a wrought'i ronjacket surround ing the cast-iron shell of the extended cylinder-,ehamber, the latter being constructed with external ribs or projections, t, (shown in the 55. cross-sectional view, Fig. 2,) against which lhis jacket h firmly supports the cast-iron shell of the extended chamber, and its elasticity provides for the'contraction and expansion of the cyl- 6o inder, the expansion of the latter tending to straighten the wrought-iron jacket between .its points of bearing on the external projections of the cylinder. The working-cylinder is water-jacketed far as the piston recip- 6 rocatcs, the latter being also made hollow to provide for water-circulation. The plunger d is kept at a safe temperature through the medium of a coil of water-pipes, as shown at s, which are connected to the water-circulation in the nianner shown orin any convenient way.

In passing the compressed air through the space provided between the chamber and its surrounding jacket on its way to the cylinder or combustion-chamber, I cause the current of 7 5 air to flow uniformly over the whole exterior surface of the cy inder and through a series of passages, 3', between the cylinder and jacket that connect with the v'alvebox. The air enters the jacket through a pipe, at, leading from a watertrap, n, located between and communicating with the air-pump, and passes into the valve-chambers through a series of openings,

1, in the flange of the valve-chamber nozzle. (Shown in cross-section, Fig. 4-.) The tem perature of the air passing through the jacket is controlled by a water-jet, agarrangcd within range of the air-pump induction, the waterjet being pulverized by an air-jet, a, leading from the receiver. That portion of the spray on condensed on the surfaces of the cylinder and valves, or any excess of water suspended in the entering air, will separate and collect in the trap a, from which it may be drawn through the cock 0." I

To recovera portion of the heat of the exhaust,'I place a regeucrator, w, between the valvcbox and the'cylinder, as shown in Fig.

1. The regenerator is composed of aseries of metal plates arranged above a series of permo forated partitionsmade of porcelain 'or similar substance, and the pipes that convey the inflammable fluid to the combustion;chaln her are passed centrally through the regenerator; as shown at 0, Fig. 1, the point of combustion being located within the cylinder, and the 5 charge of inflammable fluid brought in contact with the air after the latter passes the regenerator. It will therefore be seen that a portion of the heat of the exhaust product of combustion in passing through the regeneia Io tor will be retained therein and carried backto the cylinder by the next charge of air to]- lowing each exhaust. The enteringa' heated in three successive stages-first, tact with the hot cylinder; second, by passing I 5 through the regenerator, and, third, .by reeeiving the full complement of heat in the combustion-ehamber.

The igniting-flame is conveyed to the combustionchamber through the pipef, arranged adjacent to the oil-supply pipe o,the ignitingcandle being thereby removed at such a distance from the combustiou-chambcr that the cushioning or other pressure in thelatter will not force the burned gases back and extin- 2 guish the flame. I The ignition is effected by a candle, q, having an air and oil supply, as shown in Fig. 3, and a valve, Z, operated by any convenient moving part of the engine mechanism, which will open the val vejust in advance of the main valve, so that the current of air will convey the flame through the pipe f to the combustion-chainber.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to sccu re by Letters 55 Patent, is

1. In a gas-engine, a regenerating device arranged between the point of eombustiomthe air-jacket, and the exhaust-passage, whereby a portion of the heat of the escaping products 40 of combustion is intercepted and returned to the combustion chamber with the entering air. 1 V

2. A gas-engine provided with fa jacket forming a passage to the entering air, and a connected watcr-jet for supplying moisture to the air, whereby the temperature of the jacket and cyliuderis regulated.

3. An igniting device having an oil. and air supply, the latter being provided with an auxiliary valve operated by the engine mechanism. so as to allow a small currentof air to flow past the igniting device and convey the flame to the combustionchamber.

1. In a gasengine, an igniting dcvicwiu constant communication with the combustion chamber, and located at such distance there from as to-prevent the cushion or other pressure from forcing back the burned gases and extinguishing the flame. 6o

5. An air-pump of a gas-engine, provided with au'atcr-jet for nioistening the air, and a trap for collecting and removing Condensa-- tion or an excess of watmcontained in the air.

. STE IHl JN W'ILCUX.

\Vitncsscs: 

